Additive manufacturing techniques enable the rapid creation of objects, structures, portions thereof, prototypes, replacement parts, experimental parts, and make-shift items. Additive manufacturing devices may produce parts via additive processes. That is, material is sequentially bonded or otherwise mechanically or chemically joined together in order to form the desired object. One class of additive manufacturing devices, fused deposition modeling (FDM) devices, utilize a source of thermoplastics to produce parts. An extrusion nozzle is positioned and heated to a temperature that will melt supplied thermoplastic. Thermoplastic is fed through the nozzle, thereby depositing a desired amount of molten plastic at a location in order to form a portion of a part. Other additive processes use powders or granular material to produce parts. One class of additive manufacturing devices, selective laser melting (SLM) generally fuses fine metal powders together with a high power laser. One class of additive manufacturing devices, stereolithography (SLA) generally cures a photo-reactive resin with a UV laser or other radiation source.
Such devices may be used to create objects in remote or inhospitable environments such as outer space, aboard a naval vessel, underwater, rural areas and the like.
Additive manufacturing devices are typically initialized by an on-site user and closely monitored during operation in order to pause or terminate a build should issues arise. This hampers the ability of the device to be remotely operated.
Further, additive manufacturing devices typically have multiple computing devices which must interface in order to carry out a print and each computing device generally generates different command sets, creating a one way, iterative path for commanding the device.
Given the foregoing, systems and methods for facilitating safe remote operate of additive manufacturing devices are needed.